


Loss of Wings

by Kale-y (PechoraFlow)



Series: Promptober 2020 [15]
Category: Original Work
Genre: Angst, Gen, Hurt No Comfort, This is at the very beginning of Audeen's quest, bit of prose, but i like how it turned out, right before she meets him, sprites are not fairies fight me, this is really short
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-17
Updated: 2020-10-17
Packaged: 2021-03-08 21:33:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 304
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27053458
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PechoraFlow/pseuds/Kale-y
Summary: Clover is captured by bandits. Unfortunately, sprite wings make popular accessories for the nobles...---Prompt: Wings
Series: Promptober 2020 [15]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1947931
Kudos: 2





	Loss of Wings

Clover huddles against the far side of the birdcage that they are using to hold him, pressing his back against the cool, thin bars that could be bent so easily by a human, but are impregnable to a sprite his size. He can barely feel the metal through the almost numbing pain that blankets his back and grips his shoulders. He keeps his breathing slow and even so that he moves as little as possible, focusing on inhaling and exhaling in an attempt to keep his mind from wandering.

But he has never been good at staying focused, and eventually, his thoughts settle on his wings; the ones he has had for his whole life; the ones that used to lift him into the air with a single push.

The ones they ripped out of his back barely an hour ago.

Try as he might, he cannot shut out the memory of the terror and cold horror that infected him as one of the bandits pinned him to a table with a single hand.

 _One hand._ Was he really that weak?

The nature sprite curses himself bitterly. He _is_ weak. And foolish. If he hadn’t gone beyond the Barrier, if he had just stayed at his station and hadn’t pursued the bandits, he would still be safe. He would still be able to go home. He would still have his wings.

Now, he has nothing. Without his wings, he cannot possibly escape the bandits. Even if he somehow could manage it, he would be vulnerable. A fox or hawk could kill him easily. And even if he somehow could survive and make it back to his hollow, he would be exiled - not just for leaving his post, but also for the loss of his wings.

There is simply nowhere else for him to go.


End file.
